A Vacaville woman facing child endangerment and driving under the influence of alcohol charges appeared Wednesday in Solano County Superior Court, where an upcoming probable cause hearing date was confirmed.

The defendant, Kathleen Stevens, 52, reportedly had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit, when she was found by authorities after she crashed her vehicle in July. Prior to the crash, the woman was baby-sitting a 3-year-old child, who she allegedly left unattended in an apartment. Stevens was arrested in July after two teenagers found the toddler wandering outside through the apartment complex and contacted police.

According to Wednesday’s court discussions, the woman drank half a bottle of whiskey before she got behind the wheel of her car and left the young child unsupervised.

The district attorney on the case motioned the court Wednesday to consolidate the DUI and child endangerment charges, which before today’s hearing, were considered separate, unrelated cases.

The woman’s public defender argued that consolidating the two charges would bring prejudice against Stevens in the eyes of a potential jury, emphasizing that there is no evidence that she drank alcohol in front of the toddler.

The judge, however, failed to see the attorney’s perspective and granted the district attorney’s motion, saying the cases are “clearly connected.”

A probable cause hearing has now been scheduled for at 10 a.m. Jan. 9, where more details of the case will likely be revealed.

Stevens remains out of police custody. At the judge’s orders, Stevens and the parents of the toddler are to have no contact with each other.

Court records show Stevens filed a civil restraining order against the child’s parents after she was allegedly harassed by them. That case, however, was dismissed because of a lack of evidence, the judge confirmed.